Connections Between U.S. Presidents and Roman Emperors

1124 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Development of the Roman empire

Throughout history, countless leaders, had their periods of leadership among the masses; a story of how they claimed their superior position. Are there connections though between leaders and their lives, positions, and their form of a kingdom? My goal is to find these connections between the United States’ current and former presidents, Barrack Obama and George W. Bush and two Roman emperors, Augustus and his great-grandson, Nero.
After a 20-year period of transition from the republic and the assassination of Julius Caesar, Augustus returned to Rome forming an alliance with Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus known as the Second Triumvirate which led to the establishment of the Roman Empire. The first 206 years of the Roman Empire were known as Pax Romana, because it was a time of peace and prosperity from 27 BC to 180 AD. What started out as a small Empire, throughout the centuries the Empire grew so large that in 330 AD, the Empire was split between the East and the West.
Within the last 200 years of the Western Roman Empire, the empire weakened and led to the fall of the Western Roman Empire. By the end of Nero’s rule of emperor, revolts against the Praetorian Guard – the force of loyalists and guards of the emperor – was one of the first of many uprisings in Rome. These revolts led to civil wars between Eastern and Western Roman Empires. Although the Western Empire collapsed in 476 A.D., the Eastern Roman Empire survived until 1453 A.D.
Augustus, nephew of Julius Caesar, was the first Emperor of the Roman Empire and transitioned from the Republic to the Empire. Although Augustus had his name changed or modified several times through out his lifespan, the most recognized names are his birth given name, Gaius Octavius, and final nam...

... middle of paper ...

..., which caused American citizens to uproar and protest because it began the War on Terror.
Just a few years ago, Obama was elected and became the first African American to be president. Obama’s first goal as president was to pulled out some of our troops Afghanistan and Iraq. This past year, Obama Care or “Affordable Care” has been passed and several citizens are discouraged by this policy, but over time accepted the new law.
Both there are some similarities such as polices forces, government grants, construction of buildings and helping the minorities. There are also very strong differences, especially with the emperor Nero, because being such a young emperor, he didn’t know any better, even with the advising of the Senate. If any of our presidents were to perform torture and murder, they would be impeached or kicked out of office in a blink a an eye, unlike Nero.

Show More
Related

  • How Did The Roman Empire Impact Society

    526 Words  | 2 Pages

    However, Rome entered into a long series of decline beginning with the death of Marcus Aurelius in AD 180. Meanwhile Marcus Aurelius instead of accommodate another successor he made a crucial mistake of naming his son Commodus as an emperor. Confronting this time of problems Rome desired a good and devoted leader. As a substitute of the carefree that Commodus was. The Roman Empire fell in AD 476 to Barbarians invaders as a result of the fall of Rome. This period of time became known as the “crisis of the third century.” At that time the empire was surrounded by economic, military, and politic problems.

    Read More

  • Augustus

    753 Words  | 2 Pages

    Caesar’s death brought turmoil to into Rome. Augustus was determined to avenge his adopted father’s death and vied with two of his chief rivals for power, Mark Antony and Lepidus. After some minor conflicts and disputes, both military and political, Augustus realized the importance and significance of making peace with his rivals. Through these small skirmishes, Antony was driven across the Alps, while Augustus was made senator and then consul. Soon after, Augustus and Antony were joined by Antony’s ally. They met and formed the Second Triumvirate to rule the Roman domains. Their alliance was sealed by a huge proscription in which 300 senators and 200 knights were killed. These were the Triumvir’s enemies.

    Read More

  • The Effect Of Emperor Augustus Caesar's Effect On Western Civilization

    702 Words  | 2 Pages

    Augustus Caesar was very ambitious leader. He is best known for bringing peace to Rome. Augustus was considered the first great roman emperor, because He didn’t care about wealth and fortune. Augustus cared about the people of Rome. He was a great military leader and was successful in most of his missions. He showed people that being a good ruler requires a lot of hard work and dedication. He was a very generous man. Augustus was greatly admired by the Roman people.

    Read More

  • Augustus And The Senate Essay

    447 Words  | 1 Pages

    It was the senate that gave Augustus his power and many titles, yet he managed to manipulate them from the outset, on 16th January, Octavian was given the title Augustus, the revered one. Augustus wanted to convince the people that he was merely the first citizen at a free community. Augustus form of government is now known as the principate. The roles and responsibilities of the senate 1have amended overtime.

    Read More

  • What Was Augustus's Downfall

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    Augustus was the basis for the time of the Principate period, which is a period where the rulers of the new found monarchy attempted to incorporate aspects of the Roman Republic within the powerful empire. Augustus tried his best to maintain conservative forms of government. Augustus’s sole ambition was to remove the hatred and chaos that had resulted from the civil wars. Thankful for Augustus working to restore power back to the Roman senate in his new reforms, the grateful Senate granted him the name Augustus meaning sacred. January, 27 BC, Octavian humbly resigned his powers within Rome, However Augustus received them back from the Senate shortly after. Augustus’s military genius marked the start of a dynasty which saw an extensive expansion of the Roman

    Read More

  • The Roman Emperor Tiberius

    1977 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the early first century AD, the Roman Empire was subject to autocratic rule and the old Republic was long dead. Augustus had been ruling for forty years and most of that time he was loved and praised by the Senate and the people of Rome. Throughout his reign, Augustus had the one lingering problem of finding a successor to take over the role of Emperor. He had chosen 3 different heirs in his time of rule; however, they all passed before they had the chance to inherit Augustus’ esteemed power. His fourth choice, Tiberius, was the one to succeed Augustus. He was often referred to, by Augustus, as an outstanding general and the only one capable of defending Rome against her enemies. The statement, ‘Tiberius is condemned by many ancient historians (including Tacitus), and his reign is often portrayed as being detrimental to the welfare of the Roman Empire’ is invalid as he treated the senate fairly, created strong economics and security in the state and boosted the empire into an unprecedented state of prosperity. This hypothesis will be proven through this essay by analyzing factors such as Tiberius’ administration of the Empire, his relationship with the senate, his financial control, the effect of Sejanus over his rule and why were his last years as Emperor referred to as a ‘reign of terror’ by Tacitus.

    Read More

  • The Roman Empire

    1687 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Roman Empire In 27 BC, Augustus became the first emperor of Rome, thus creating a strong leader figure, which could shape and mold the Republic system into what was best for the empire or themselves. During the reign of the emperors, the political policies for Rome would vary according to, which emperor was in power. Not only were politics shaky, but there never was a clear-cut method of succession for the man who controlled those politics. Rome had created the position of emperor in hopes that men like Augustus would continue to lead her into prosperity, however the office of emperor struggled in attempting to find great men to lead Rome. The office never truly evolved into something greater than when it had been created, but rather the office varied according to the personality of the man in the position.

    Read More

  • Octavian, the Greatest Roman Leader

    1668 Words  | 4 Pages

    Octavian enabled the long, nonviolent time of the Pax Romana, (Latin for Roman peace) by changing Rome from a frail, collapsing republican government to a powerful empire. He is known as the first, and one of the greatest, Roman Emperors ever. Octavian was born on September 23, 63 BC, and died in 14 AD. Born with the name Gaius Octavius Thurinus, he was adopted posthumously by his great-uncle Gaius Julius Caesar via his will, and then was named Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus. This happened in 44 BC when his great uncle, Julius Caesar, was assassinated by a group of conspirators. Additionally, he received the name “Augustus” a term meaning “the revered one” from the Roman Senate in 27 BC. Because of the various names he had, it is common to call him Octavius while referring to the events that between 63 and 44 BC, Octavian when referring to events between 44 and 27 BC, and Augustus when referring to events after 27 BC. Octavian is arguably the single most important figure in Roman history. Ever since he was a young boy, he was destined to become the next great leader. For example, Octavian along with his friend Marcus Agrippa went to visit the Sibyl of Cumae (oracle). When the Sibyl saw him, she bowed at his feet and said that he would be the next great leader. He did not believe her at the time, but just a few years later Julius Caesar would be dead and he would have power. Over the course of his long and spectacular career as “Principate,” he put an end to the collapse of the Republic, and established a system that would stand in the Roman government for three centuries.

    Read More

  • Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire

    1095 Words  | 3 Pages

    As the story goes, Rome was founding in 753 B.C. by two brothers Remus and Romulus who were raised by wolves. The two brothers started fighting over the leadership of the land. Eventually Romulus killed Remus and took control own his own. The city was only a small settlement at that time. As the civilization grew, the Etruscans took over. The Romans drove out the Etruscans in 509 B.C. By this time Rome had become a city. As the empire came to its peak it included lands throughout the Mediterranean world. Rome had first expanded into other parts of Italy and neighboring places during the Roman Republic, but made wider conquests and made a strong political power for these lands. In 44 BC Gaius Julius Caesar, the Roman leader who ruled the Roman Republic as a dictator was assassinated. Rome descended into more than ten years of civil war. After years of civil war, Caesar's heir Gaius Octavius (also known as Octavian) defeated his last rivals. In 27 B.C. the Senate gave him the name Augustus, meaning the exalted or holy one. In this way Augustus established the monarchy that became known as the Roman Empire. The Roman Republic, which lasted nearly 500 years, did not exist anymore. The emperor Augustus reigned from 27 BC to AD 14 and ruled with great power. He had reestabl...

    Read More

  • Superbus Leadership In Ancient Rome

    1306 Words  | 3 Pages

    Every empire, dynasty, government, regime etc. has consisted of both good and bad leadership. This directly affects the society in which they oversee and/or control. The infamous Roman Empire experienced its share of triumphs and depression through its leader’s actions. Run as a monarchy, the kings of Rome had various ways of implementing their authority. Many of them chose to rule based on their interests and desires while others catered to the welfare of Rome’s booming population. Depending on the leader some received accolades and others faced a tragic ending due to their ignorance. Prior to the formation of the republic Rome the people endured both the spoils and hardships of war. The actions and/or qualities of the good and bad leaders of Rome had a direct correlation with its well being. Opinions vary but there were definitely standouts on both ends of the spectrum.

    Read More

  • Rise of the Roman Republic

    955 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Roman republic at first tried to protect itself from foreign enemies, not by being defensive, but by going on the offensive and destroying those that had any possibility of threatening the young republic. Once this started it was hard to stop the citizen army’s consisted of hop-lite phalanxs from continuing on with what they were good at; War. With each successful campaign came the spoils of victory, conquered land, expansion, new ideas, art, technology, religion, and so forth. All of these spoils added great wealth and power to the republic, most likely encouraging it in to becoming a empire.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of The Roman Empire

    1413 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Roman Empire of the third century saw a period of great instability due to the short reigns of its many emperors. It was dangerous to be the emperor in an era that was filled with rebellions and multiple men vying for the throne. In response to their precarious position at the head of the empire, many third century emperors tried to bolster their power through whatever means necessary. These men bought the loyalty of the army while subduing the political and military threat that the Senate posed. This created an emperor, who by the fourth century was vastly more powerful than those of the principate and who saw their power expand beyond the government.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Augustus

    569 Words  | 2 Pages

    Octavian, or Caesar Augustus, was an effective ruler, implementing reforms that positively affected virtually all areas of life throughout the Empire. Social, economic, and political tensions that had led to so much violence in earlier years were calmed by Augustus's policies. Corruption and abuses of the people were also given attention by the Emperor. The borders of the Roman Empire grew dramatically under Augustus's rule, adding material wealth and manpower to Rome's already significant resources.

    Read More

  • The Fall of The Roman Republic

    878 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Roman Republic was founded in 509 BC after the ruling Tarquins abused their extensive power as monarchs and were overthrown. The goal of the Roman Republic was to have a strong government, governed equally by the patricians and the plebians, and to avoid another Roman Monarchy. For years Rome was guided by great men, such as Cincinnatus and Scipio Africanus, who led the Republic through hard times, conquering such enemies as the Etruscans and the Carthaginians. Large-scale war united Roman society in its common goals. However, after Scipio’s victory at Zama in 202 BC, a new Roman world began to take shape. Roman soldiers returned home from their victory to find that they could not pay for their farms, becoming “squatters” on their own lands after having to sell them to richer men. The Senate became corrupted, and despite the Gracchi brothers’ best efforts, the rich patricians soon monopolized nearly all aspects of the Republic, from trading and “farming” to governing the people. After marching on Rome, Sulla became dictator in 82 BC. After Sulla, the First Triumvirate: Pompey, Crassus, and Caesar, owned virtually all power in Rome, yet each had his own desire to defeat the other two and become Emperor. When Crassus died in battle, Caesar had his chance. He defeated Pompey and marched on Rome, victorious. After declaring himself Dictator for Life, Caesar was assassinated, and another Civ...

    Read More

  • THE RISE OF THE PAPACY

    1635 Words  | 4 Pages

    As the Roman Empire shifted its center of power to the East, Rome lost much of the prestige and protection it had previously enjoyed. With Constantinople as the new seat of the empire, the West was left to stand alone, often defenseless.4 Barbarians attacked Rome in AD 410, and Rome found little help from Constantinople. With the Western Empire essentially abandoned, disease, poverty and instability were rampant. Many structures had fallen into disrepair, and famine ravaged the land. Most government officials had left Rome, leaving the churc...

    Read More

More about Connections Between U.S. Presidents and Roman Emperors

Open Document